Duck...!
by Quatrina Raberba
Summary: *PRE OLS* Gene and Jim stir up some trouble at the dinner table...


  
Disclaimer: Ahhh, yes...tradition, tradition. I think we all know what goes here, but just to be safe...::Holds up a sign that boldly reads - I do not own OLS.:: Thank you.  
  
This little fic takes place before OLS. Jim is 9, and Gene is 18.   
  
Duck...!  
  
  
A sense of completion filled him for the first time that week, as he stood back to admire his handy work. There it was. The kitchen, in all of its sparkling glory. He had no idea his partner had dirtied it up that badly after his...uh... experimentation with some food. Usually whether his home was clean or not was not a big issue with Jim Hawking, but today, he had finally grown tired of it. It was his week for kitchen duty, and *nothing* had been organized!   
  
He smirked as he wondered what Gene Starwind would do without him. Maybe he should mess up the kitchen right before it became Gene's turn. Then again, the red headed teen probably wouldn't care. "Jim! Are you done yet?!" The nine year old raised an eyebrow, as he sat down at the table. On the table, however, were wonderful, delicious bowls of...oatmeal. A treat, compared to what Gene usually cooked.  
  
"Yeah, Aniki!" Jim paused a brief moment, as he ran his hand through his dirty blond hair. "It's getting cold!" He warned. After hearing footsteps approaching the kitchen, he leaned his head back with satisfaction. *That* had certainly got his attention.  
  
"Well, let's start eating!" Eighteen year old Gene Starwind sat down across from his little sidekick, after entering the kitchen. Jim hadn't even realized he had sat down, and was startled at Gene's statement. He was so tired...  
  
"Right. I worked hard on this." Jim lifted his spoon, and began to greedily eat his hot oatmeal.   
  
"What you mean?" Inquired Gene with his mouthful. "Oatmeal isn't that hard to make."  
  
"I cleaned the kitchen, too, Aniki. No thanks to you."  
  
"Hey, no one asked you to bust your butt. All you had to do was cook." Gene smirked as he took another bite of his oatmeal.  
  
"Well, Aniki, it's hard to cook when the silverware is where the mugs are supposed to be!" Growled Jim, his mouth still full.   
  
"So I reorganized things a little bit."  
  
"And the other half was where the cookies were supposed to be."  
  
"What?!" Gene abruptly quit eating. "Hey, I think you're over doing it there. I didn't put the silverware in the cookie jar."  
  
"Are you sure...?" Jim smiled teasingly as he got a spoonful of oatmeal. "Say you're sorry for not appreciating my work, or I'll put the oatmeal where your shirt is."  
  
"Excuse me?" Gene's eyes widened with amusement and surprise. "Who said I didn't appreciate it?"  
  
"Well you never said you did." Jim's smile grew more mischievous, as he drew back the spoon, as it were a catapult, and aimed at his tall partner. "So say it."  
  
"I did!"  
  
"No, you didn't." He perfected his aim a bit. "Time is running out, Aniki." Of course, Jim had no intention of throwing food at Gene. He just wanted to tease him a bit, that was all. However, all of that didn't matter, as his sweaty finger lost its grip on the spoon, and its contents flew across the table...  
  
...and landed on Gene's favorite shirt with a horrifying "splat".  
  
"You so did not..." Gene stared at his dirty shirt in disbelief. "I like this shirt!" After gripping his spoon, he loaded it with edible ammunition, and unleashed his wrath upon his little friend. The next thing Jim new, his hair was covered in what was supposed to be dinner.  
  
"Hey!" More oatmeal was sent across the table, and onto Gene's face. The teen was absolutely disgusted, as he wiped the wasted food away from his eyes. "I just washed my hair!"  
  
"Yeah? Well my face wasn't that dirty a minute ago," snapped Gene, as he threw down the spoon. "Now for the big guns." He reached his hand into the bowl, scooping any of his oatmeal that he could pick up. After Gene fired, Jim gasped, as he jumped out of his chair, barely avoiding the deadly clump of oatmeal.  
  
Jim scowled as he grabbed his bowl from the table, and scooped his oatmeal into his hand. He gave it a good chuck, which served well, as it hit Gene, yet again, in the face. "Ten points for me!" Jim smiled, as he reached for another clump of ammunition...only to discover he was out. "Oh, no...!" Gene laughed, as he wiped the oatmeal from his eyes again.   
  
"Looks like you're busted, Jim." He lifted his bowl, only to discover it felt unusually light.  
  
"Looks like I'm not the only one who's busted," said Jim as he smirked. "Looks like it's a tie."  
  
"We'll see about that," growled Gene as he made his way over to the sink. He turned on the water, full blast, as an impish grin crossed his face. Jim knew he should run out of the kitchen, but he had no idea what he would be running from.   
  
"Uh, Aniki? You're wasting water, and..." Jim stuttered as his eyebrows raised with suspicion.  
  
"Wasting? No, I'm using it." The next thing Jim knew, his vision was blurred, and he quickly shut his eyes. It took him a few brief moments to realize that Gene was spraying him with water, as a cool sensation cover his body. "Looks like you need to be hosed down!"  
  
"AGH-" Gurgled Jim, as he put his hands in front of his face to protect himself, though his efforts were in vain. "ANIK- BLAGH!" The only thing Jim heard was Gene's laughter booming throughout the kitchen, and the water that was beginning to become a little more than annoying.  
  
"Hey, Jim? You clean yet?" Another burst of water hit Jim's body. "No? Don't worry! You'll be clean in a minute! Then you can appreciate me for making the house that much cleaner!" Jim stepped out of the line of fire, coughing slightly, as he rubbed his eyes. Before Gene could shift his aim, Jim had already begun charging at the teen. "Big mistake, Jim!"   
  
He met Jim's attack with a much greater force, bringing him down against the wet, tiled floor. Jim hardly seemed to put up a fight, as he desperately tried to get out of Gene's grip. "Not so fast, buddy." Jim felt an arm pin him down against the cold floor, and another hand brush against his neck. Fits of giggle escaped the boy, as he tried to squirm away from his captor.  
  
Giggles turned into laughter, as Gene quit being so gentle, and went out for a full fledged attack. "Aniki!" Gasped Jim. "Please! Stop!" Gene didn't respond, but continued his tickling raid instead. Finally, however, after many fun filled minutes of laughter, and tickling, Gene finally got up from the floor.   
  
"Next time, think twice before you throw oatmeal at me."  
  
"What?" Said Jim, quietly, as he sat up. Obviously, he was exhausted from his "punishment". "You should have ducked."  
  
"Whatever!" Gene laughed, as he exited the kitchen. "Next time you cook dinner, Jim, make sure we're eating it first."   
  
"Yeah, sure," gasped Jim, after getting up from the wet floor. His smile disappeared however, as he glanced at his surroundings.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Gene Starwind chuckled, as he took off his dirty shirt, while making his way over to the couch. He casually tossed the shirt onto the floor, and wiped more oatmeal from his face. He was over due for a shower...far over due. The shower could wait, though. He stretched his aching muscles, and was about to settle onto the couch.   
  
"ANIKI!" Gene's eyes widened as he turned towards the kitchen...just in time to see a plastic bowl...heading. Straight. For. Him.  
  
"Duck...!"  
  
~*~  
  
END  
  
...Poor Gene...^_~  



End file.
